Tom Cruise, 44, and Katie Holmes, 27, were married Saturday evening at Odescalchi Castle in Bracciano, a town about 30 kilometers north of Rome. A Church of Scientology official conducted the ceremony before an invitation-only gathering of celebrities, family, and friends. Jennifer Lopez, Jim Carrey, Will Smith, and Brooke Shields were among the guests.
The event was tightly secured from early Saturday morning, with streets around the castle periodically closed as limousines ferried guests inside. An awning covered the central courtyard to block aerial photography by news helicopters. Television rights to the wedding had been sold for $2 million, reportedly destined for charity.
Local fans and media waited outside for hours without catching a glimpse of the couple. Bracciano's mayor, Patrizia Riccioni, criticized the newlyweds for failing to appear before the gathered crowd even briefly. Holmes had been seen at a castle window earlier in the day, but neither she nor Cruise made any public appearance.
Tenor Andrea Bocelli was among the few guests spotted entering the venue, though reports indicated he did not perform Ave Maria as earlier expected. Cruise, marrying for the third time, had celebrated his bachelor party at a private Rome villa the previous evening.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in November 2006, in its own words.